Baby died from contaminated formula

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers against using baby formula from China. These are not only illegal but, more critically, these are dangerous.

The Chinese baby formula could be contaminated with melamine. In 2007, this compound was one of the ingredients in Chinese-made pet food and was found responsible for deaths and illnesses of hundreds of dogs and cats.

Xinhua, the China news agency, reported that Chinese infant formula has been linked to the death of one baby and the development of kidney stones (also linked to the presence of melamine) among babies in seven China provinces. At least 59 babies have been diagnosed with kidney stones. Kidney stones are very unusual among babies.

Safe domestic supply

There is no evidence that the formula is already in the U.S. But the FDA is issuing this warning ahead because of the documented presence of illegal Chinese formula in 2004.

The FDA assures that the domestic supply manufactured by FDA-approved manufacturers is safe. None of these manufacturers uses ingredients from China.

Melamine is one of the by-products from plastics manufacturing. Melamine can mimic high-protein additives, such as gluten from wheat and rice. The addition of melamine to ordinary wheat flour makes it read higher for protein content, although melamine is not protein. Melamine is much cheaper than wheat gluten.

In the 2007 contaminated pet food case, the Chinese ingredients supplier added melamine and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, to Chinese grain products which made them appear to be gluten, with higher protein content. The ingredients were subsequently sold as gluten to pet food manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada.

Areas with large Chinese communities

Chinese infant formula is illegal in the U.S. But there have been cases of illegal infant formula being sold in Asian and ethnic markets. In 2004, Chinese infant formula which had been responsible for the deaths of dozens of babies in China was found in at least one store in the U.S. selling to the Chinese community.

FDA says some Chinese infant formula may be sold at Asian groceries in cities with large concentrations of Chinese immigrants. These include New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. FDA is working with state and local officials to help remove the products from store shelves.

FDA-approved manufacturers

There are only six manufacturers approved to distribute infant formula in the U.S. They are: Abbott Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutritionals, Nestle USA, PBM Nutritionals, Solus Products, all based in the United States, and SHS/Nutricia, which is based in Britain.

Safety Tip:

* Use only infant formula from FDA-approved manufacturers.